Matt Casper was bandless for around eight years before Manthers came together. It was an unusual gap for a gentleman known for fronting a lot of groups. “I’ve cobbled together so many things over the years,” Casper says. “I briefly had a band called Snake Babies. Then I had a band called The Fabulous Prizes. Then I had a band called Hunter Country. It was all basically the same tune and the same vibe, just different casts of characters. We started off just playing [South Park’s] Porchfest. We were the Pre-Existing Conditions. People were like, ‘That’s kind of a mouthful.’ I had a song called ‘Manther’ from Snake Babies, and my wife said I should call the band Manthers. After that, I learned that it’s the male equivalent of cougars. I didn’t know that. That’s just a happy coincidence, because we’re all that age. We’re manthers; we’re on the prowl for young tail, I guess.”
Manthers follows in the grand tradition of Casper’s guitar-based rock. He brings in the songs, assembles local players, and lets it rip. Their recent five song mini-album You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Manthers shows hints of influences such as The Pixies, AC/DC, Neil Young, and Pavement.